Mother's joy as stem cell match for four-month-old son is finally found

28 September 2023 , 19:53

851     0

Francis Oldham (Image: Anna Holland)

The mum of a four-month-old baby with blood cancer says a stem cell match has been found weeks after an appeal.

Last month the Mirror told how Francis Oldham needs a stem cell transplant. He has acute myeloid leukaemia, a type of blood cancer which causes the bone marrow to make too many abnormal white blood cells and prevents it from making healthy blood cells.

Francis has finished a second round of gruelling chemotherapy and is in remission, but doctors said his only chance of a cure is a transplant. In August his mum Anna Holland urged people aged 16-30 across the country to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register to help find a match.

Francis has a match for stem cells (Grace Kelly Photography)

More than 2,000 people answered the call to sign up and a match has been found. Anna, 24, from Walton, Liverpool, said: “We can see where the chemotherapy is starting to take effect but he is smiling away. To find out Francis had a match was like a huge weight being lifted from our shoulders. We would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has signed up.”

* You can join the register at www.anthonynolan.org.

Warning as popular food and drink ‘increase risk of cancer death by up to 30%’

Paul Byrne